3D Gives “Jurassic Park” New Life

By Bahnt Freiberger on April 12, 2013

“Jurassic Park” is one of those films that completely revolutionized the world of movies. Thanks to advancements in technology, director Stephen Spielberg immersed his audience in a prehistoric environment, filled with realistic CGI dinosaurs that wowed people of all ages. The two sequels may have failed to capture the original’s magic, but that doesn’t negate how impactful the original was. You would think a 3D conversion would just ruin the franchise further, but in this case it actually helps.

Instead of rushing a pointless 3D conversion to increase box office ticket sales, Spielberg oversaw a conversion that actually enhances the sense of immersion audiences feel when they see the film. Just like “Avatar,” the point of the 3D effects here are not to annoy the audience with objects that fly at you, but rather to increase the world’s sense of depth and make you feel like you’re truly immersed in the film.

Why would you want dinosaurs jump out of the screen at you when you can jump into the film itself? Classic scenes like the Brachiosaur reveal, the T-Rex chase, the Gallimimus stampede and the final Velociraptor standoff are even more magical than when audiences first saw them back in 1993, thanks to the 3D actually making it feel like you’re there.

One of the greatest achievements of “Jurassic Park,” and really any Spielberg film, is its ability to embrace what makes movies so much fun-allowing you to escape reality and occupy another world. When “Jurassic Park” was first released, its pioneering use of CGI accomplished this. 20 years later, the film and its CGI still holds up, with the 3D increasing the escapism that made the film an enduring classic. People are still skeptical whether proper 3D conversions can happen, but when it comes to “Jurassic Park,” to quote Jeff Goldblum, “Life found a way.”